The work of Tennessee Williams is the type that is usually pulsing with passion, which the acclaimed playwright tapped into and exploited to its limits. His work is generally considered to be some of the finest of the 20th century, but that does not mean that he has not raised more than a few eyebrows due to the subject matter. When it comes to adapting such material for the silver screen, the stories often found themselves at odds with the strict Hays Code set up to enforce a modicum of decency. Theatrical features of acclaimed works such as A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Sweet Bird of Youth made it to the big screen, but often not without some major changes. One of his most controversial pieces was the 1956 adaptation of his one-act play 27 Wagons Full of Cotton – theatrically titled Baby Doll. Directed by Elia Kazan (East of Eden), the film features stark depictions of sensuality that may seem tame today, but was condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency upon its release. The film has carried around this notoriety for decades, but its place in cinema has always been respected. With its Blu-Ray debut, it is time we reflect on this infamous picture.
The Mississippi Delta is the home of the hapless, bigoted, down-on-his-luck cotton gin owner Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden, On the Waterfront). Archie Lee is the type of person who believes he should be living a better life than he is, especially when he has a gorgeous 19-year-old wife, Baby Doll (Carroll Baker, Giant). Young Baby Doll may technically be his wife, but the closest old Archie Lee has come to making the marriage “official” is when he peeks through a wall to watch her as she sleeps, sucking her thumb in a crib that she is forced to use due to the lack of furniture in the house. Baker is pitch-perfect in this role of a naive adolescent suffering from a serious case of arrested development. Before her father died, he made Archie Lee promise not to consummate the marriage before she was ready, and anyone with eyes can see how childlike she carries herself in life. But, she did promise that she would be ready by the time she turns twenty, which is now only a few days away. Archie Lee intends to finally embrace what is his, but his precarious position on the edge of financial collapse is not helping Baby Doll feel better about her impending marital obligation.
Feeling backed into a corner financially, Archie Lee burns down the newer cotton gin of his competitor, a Sicilian American named Silva Vacarro (Eli Wallach, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly). Wallach makes a heck of an impression in his feature film debut, displaying a rugged handsomeness that may be quite shocking to those who only know him as the kindly old man from The Holiday. If there is one thing Archie Lee is good at doing, it is making situations worse for himself. Silva is no dummy when it comes to running his business, and he has a reasonable suspicion that Archie Lee was likely behind the fire. Not only does Archie Lee draw Silva in closer as a competitor, he also inadvertently brings him closer to the young Baby Doll. As Silva sets Archie Lee to be tied up under false pretenses, he intends to gather proof of his misdeeds from Baby Doll, and if he gets more than that so be it. Much of the controversy the film garnered was from the infantilization of Baby Doll and her breathless chemistry with Silva. The film largely keeps many of the more tawdry elements ambiguous, but there is still enough bubbling desire to keep you on your toes.
Williams has a gift for creating characters that are truly awful, but remain extremely interesting to observe. The most despicable character in the story is Archie Lee, who Malden expertly portrays as kind-of a sad sack that is constantly getting humiliated – you might feel bad for the guy if he was not such a piece of garbage. It is a real pleasure to see him be on the receiving end of a strategic checkmate from the cunning Silva, who was not looking to take everything from Archie Lee but is happy to do so when he sees how he has been wronged. Kazan proves once again why he is considered one of the great directors of classic Hollywood, as the way in which he composes certain shots are truly masterful. The stunning black-and-white photography is captured to its full potential as contrast and shadows are incorporated in the best way. To go into this picture only to see what the fuss about the controversy was about would be a bit of a folly, but those who appreciate the lived-in dialogue of Tennessee Williams brought to life by a wonderful group of performers are likely to find this one a fascinating narrative.
Video Quality
Baby Doll makes its Blu-Ray debut with a brand new 1080p transfer courtesy of Warner Archive sourced from the best elements available. There is an incredible amount of detail present with nice texture on the costumes and in the production design of the shabby mansion. This setting acts like an additional character in the film, and every worn down spot reveals more about the couple that inhabits it. The beautiful black-and-white photography from Boris Kaufman shines in high definition with natural grain intact. The contrast is well defined, and there is no print damage or digital anomalies to be found. Black levels are extremely deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. A few of the establishing shots look a bit softer compared to the rest of the film, but this appears to be a quality of the source material and not an issue with the disc. Warner Archive has delivered a top-notch presentation for this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that is quite grand. There is no major discernible age related wear and tear to the track such as hissing or popping. Dialogue and background noises are represented perfectly along with the moody score from Kenyon Hopkins. No sounds ever overpower the dialogue that is being spoken here. While mostly dialogue driven throughout, the more kinetic moments, such as when the cotton gin catches fire, are handled with ease and give the track a bit of dynamic range. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. Warner Archive has provided a disc that sounds great in all respects.
Special Features
- See No Evil: A thirteen-minute featurette from 2006 featuring interviews with actors Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, and Karl Malden, along with various other individuals, which help put the picture into context. The participants discuss the controversial nature of the film, how it was sold to the public through promotional materials, improvisation in the story, how the feature impacted their lives and many more fascinating anecdotes. This is an excellent addition to the disc that any fan of the film should check out.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer that plays up the previous successes of the creatives while giving you a taste of what is in store with this newest Tennessee Williams drama.
Final Thoughts
Baby Doll finds Tennessee Williams indulging in his typical boundary-pushing themes of lust and toxic relationships with great fervor. The basic concept is a bit untoward, but these incredible performers bring this narrative to life in an engrossing manner. Warner Archive has delivered a Blu-Ray with a really wonderful A/V presentation and a couple good special features. The film may not live up to the tawdry hype generated by the controversy, but it is a picture that is more than worth your time and attention. Recommended
Baby Doll can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers. The movie will be officially released on February 16, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
